Persona Arena - Armageddon
by KnightMysterio
Summary: Namatame has returns, and brings Armageddon with him! He's undone the heroics of the Phantom Thieves, Investigation Team, and Shadow Operatives, putting the world in danger! Can the three groups team up to stop him? And just what is Namatame's agenda anyway? (Contains spoilers for Persona 5, 4, and 3.)
1. Flipping the Table

_**Persona Arena: Armageddon**_

 _ **by Jonathan "KnightMysterio" Spires**_

 _ **Chapter 1: Flipping the Table**_

 _All characters copyrighted to their original owners and used for non-profit amusement purposes. If you like my work, please support me on . Note – names will use the Japanese order except where appropriate._

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Tokyo...

Mid-afternoon...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"We're here live for the Tokyo News Network! I'm Mino Monta, hosting this very special interview program!" said the smiling, elderly Japanese man. "We've got two very special guests with us tonight for this special program, Crime and Justice"

The crowd cheered the well known television host.

Monta-san smiled, and waved. "Now, for our first guess, we've got someone famous! She's a world famous detective who's closed several of the most baffling cases, overcoming both age and gender barriers to become one of the most respected lawmen on the planet! Ladies and gentlemen, Shirogane Naoto!"

The show's band played a heroic-sounding theme, a young woman in blue coming out. She wore a loose-fitting blue top with red suspenders, a dark blue cap, a jacket thrown over her shoulder. She strutted out, sporting a winning smile, waving to the crowd. She then stopped herself, a frustrated look on her face. She shook her head, looking embarrassed, and walked over to Monta-san, shaking his hand and sitting down.

Monta-san smiled. "Are you alright, Shirogane-san?" he asked. "You look like you tripped over your own entrance for a second."

"Sorry," Naoto said, smiling weakly. "I still have trouble turning off my 'idol' habits I developed."

"Yes, that was a rather interesting point in your career," Monta-san said, amused. "World famous detective, tricked into becoming an idol singer for a year alongside her friends."

"In retrospect, we really should have listened to Rise-san's advice and read over the contracts when we agreed to dance with her for the Bonds Festival," Naoto said, sighing. "At least we were able to get out after a year, and used our 'careers' to spread a good message."

"Whatever happened to the man who tricked you into those contracts, anyway? No one's heard anything from him ever since?" Monta-san asked.

Naoto allowed herself a vicious grin.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Earlier the previous year...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

A severe-looking woman with gray hair, a German accent, and bizarrely, a whip stood in front of the agent. She smirked. "I'm here on behalf of the Kirijo Group," she said. "It's about the contracts for the 'Investigation Team' idol group."

The agent gulped fearfully. "I... THAT Kirijo Group?"

The German woman smiled, tapping her hand with her whip. "Yes. I believe there's a few... legal discrepancies that need to be worked out..."

"...On a scale of one to ten, how fucked am I?" the agent asked.

"Oh, I'd say about thirty-seven..." the German lawyer said, grinning viciously.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Now...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Something delightful," Naoto said cryptically.

Monta-san frowned, and then shrugged. "Okay..." he said. "Moving on. Your idol group's music was about accepting one's self, yes?"

Naoto nodded. "I may not have liked the circumstances behind our group's formation, but the message we wanted to spread was a good once. It was a lesson I myself learned during the Inaba case, when I first met Rise-san and my other friends."

Monta-san nodded. "For those unfamiliar, please explain," he said.

Naoto smiled warmly. "It's no secret that there are several occupations which far favor men over women. My family has a long history of law enforcement, and when I was younger, I greatly enjoyed stories about hard-boiled detectives. Rugged and hardboiled, those types. But no matter how much I studied, how much I contributed, there were still two issues. One, I was a girl, and two, I was still very young. So I started to act older than I was, as well as do things to suppress my femininity, such as binding my breasts to appear flat chested. It was during the Inaba case that I learned to..." She leaned back in her chair, a thoughtful look on her face. "...Monta-san, are you familiar with the works of Carl Jung?"

Monta-san shook his head. "I'm afraid not," he said.

Naoto smiled. "He was a Swiss philosopher. After the Inaba incident, I became very interested in his work. He believed that we all show a persona, a kind of social mask, that conceals our true nature. This mask is designed to make an impression on others, while hiding who we truly are."

Monta-san nodded. "I think I understand. You displayed an androgynous, mature persona to get people to take you seriously."

"Which in its own way wasn't a mature thing to do," Naoto said. "I was still a child playing pretend. The circumstances in which I learned to accept myself are... well, they're private. But suffice to say I realized how much I was hurting myself."

"You still seem pretty mature to me," Monta-san said.

Naoto shook her head. "It's not a false maturity," she said. "It's simply who I am. And I'm not suppressing my feminine side anymore either. I'm young. I'm a woman. But I'm also a detective, by all accounts one of the best in the world. The first two of those doesn't change the third a single bit. If people still want to call me the Detective Prince, that's their business. I know who I am. And I'm proud of who I am."

Monta-san grinned. "Well said!" he cheered. The audience cheered in agreement, especially the women in the audience. "If only we all could be as honest about ourselves to ourselves... Especially the guys, am I right ladies?" That got a chuckle from the audience.

"It's difficult," Naoto said. "Seeing who you truly are, admitting your true self, it's one of the hardest things in the world. But it's worth it."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Junes...

Inaba...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Naoto's really handling herself well," Amagi Yukiko said, the raven-haired girl in red smiling as she watched the program.

Beside her, the auburn-haired girl in the green jacket chuckled, and added in a near whisper, "Granted, she's leaving out a few bits and pieces here and there. Such as the fact that in our case, at least, facing ourselves was a LITERAL battle..."

Yukiko giggled. "True enough, Chie."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Studio...

Tokyo...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Monta-san's smile faded as he prepared to introduce the next guest. "We've met the Justice, now comes to the time to meet the Crime. Ladies and gentleman, our next guess was an Olympic champion. The pride of Japan. Who apparently was so proud he thought that the pretty young girls of the school he taught at owed him. He confessed to multiple counts of sexual harassment of female students, physical abuse of male students, and even rape. Which he would have gotten away with, apparently, if not for the mysterious Phantom Thieves a year ago," he said.

The crowd booed. Naoto frowned. "I must say, I'm surprised he was let out for this," she said. "With his reputation..."

"Mine is not to question why, mine is just to introduce him and ask the questions," Monta-san said. "Ladies and gentlemen, Kamoshida Suguru."

A bald, athletically built-man in a hoody came out, smiling weakly. He waved to the crowd, who just booed him viciously. He quickly went to the seat next to Naoto and sat down, smiling weakly at her. She just folded her arms and glared at him coldly. He gulped nervously and looked down at the floor.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Cafe LeBlanc...

Tokyo...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Takamaki Ann clenched her fists tightly as she glared at the screen. The blonde half-Japanese woman was furious. "Why was he let out? Who cares about some stupid show?"

"Special request of the shows executives," Sakamoto Ryuji muttered, the blonde delinquent's expression a mirror of Ann's own. "Futaba-chan looked it up."

On the table, a black cat frowned. "It can't be helped. He's still clearly showing the effects of what we did to him. All we can do is watch," the cat said.

"I guess, Morgana," Ryuji muttered. "Still, I'd love to punch that guy in the face again..."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Studio...

Tokyo...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"It's nice to be out and about again," Kamoshida said, smiling weakly. "I know I don't deserve it, but... well, fresh air is always nice."

Monta-san frowned. "I must say, it's rather disappointing to see what you've become, Kamoshida," he said, deliberately leaving off the honorific. "I remember your Olympic win. It was an amazing victory for Japan, especially against that famous American player."

Kamoshida nodded. "It was my finest hour..." he said. "But I let it go to my head. I started to take advantage of that, believing I could just do whatever I wanted... I don't have any justification for what I did..."

Naoto frowned. "...What did the Phantom Thieves do to you, anyway?"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Cafe LeBlanc...

Tokyo...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Other than completely kick your butt?" Ryuji said with amusement.

"Sssh," Ann said, although she was smiling as well.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Studio...

Tokyo...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"I don't know," Kamoshida said. "After I got the calling card, I woke up the next day and..." He shook his head. "It was as if my entire life had become clear. I could see the truth behind everything I did, about how wrong it all was... I wanted to die, I was so ashamed..." He lowered his head, the hoodie hiding the fact that he was crying. "But no... I went to prison." He looked up, smiling. "I am serving out my time. I've even had myself chemically castrated to help control my urges."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Shadow Operative Base...

Tatsumi Port Island...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Why are we watching this?" Sanada Akihiko asked, the muscular, white-haired man squirming uncomfortably.

"You did rejoin us at a rather interesting time," Kirijo Mitsuru chuckled, the red-headed beauty watching the screen closely. "As for this, we've detected a strange anomaly centering around Tokyo. The fact that it first appeared around the same time as this show was announced cannot be a coincidence."

"And you think this show with Shirogane-san and this rapist loser has something to do with it?" Akihiko asked.

"I'm considering all possibilities," Mitsuru said. "The Inaba crew is a magnet for trouble."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Cafe LeBlanc...

Tokyo...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ryuji grimaced, clutching at his crotch.

Morgana blinked, confused. "What does 'chemically castrated' mean?"

Ann smirked. "He took drugs to make his manparts not work anymore."

Morgana meeped. "He had himself fixed?"

"Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy," Ann said, chuckling.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Studio...

Tokyo...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Monta-san frowned. "Well... It's nice to know that you're taking steps to make amends for your crimes."

"What I did is unforgiveable," Kamoshida said. "I was an Olympian. I was supposed to set an example. Instead, I exploited others and committed horrible crimes. I even tried to cripple a young man simply because he was a better track athlete than my volleyball team." He turned to the cameras, and said, "I won't name him, because I respect his privacy, but to him I say that I am sincerely sorry. You didn't deserve what I did to you. I hope your leg has recovered enough to renew your track career, and I respect your bravery in constantly standing up to me despite the risk of expulsion."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Cafe LeBlanc...

Tokyo...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Too little too late for forgiveness, asshole..." Ryuji said softly.

Ann smiled. "He is right, y'know," she said. "You were brave in standing up to him all those times. Braver than me..."

Ryuji smirked at her. "But you're the one who just followed us into his Palace. And the moment you got Carmen, your persona, you freakin' kicked ass."

Morgana grinned. "You're both awesome," he said.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Studio...

Tokyo...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"That's all well and good," Naoto said. "But something is bothering me."

"What's that, Shirogane-san?" Monta-san asked.

"This show... There's no point to it. We have a lawman and a criminal here, but what is the show about?" Naoto asked.

"Crime and Justice," Monta-san said.

"That's a sound bite," Naoto said dismissively. "Why are Kamoshida and I here? Why was Kamoshida let out? Why was I specifically asked here? I'm famous, yes, but there are more prominent policewomen to ask."

"I can answer that," said a voice.

Naoto recognized the voice, her eyes going wide. "What the..."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Junes...

Inaba...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"No way..." Satonaka Chie said, staring at the screen.

"Why is he there?" Yukiko said, stunned.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Studio...

Tokyo...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

A tall man in a pure white business suit stepped out of the curtains. He had short, grayish-black hair, brown eyes, and a mole on his forehead. In one arm he carried a glowing book. He grinned wickedly.

"Namatame Taro," Naoto said, standing up and looking wary. "What are you doing here?"

"Firstly, thanks for saving me the introduction," Namatame said. "Secondly, I'm here to make an announcement."

"And that would be?" Naoto asked.

"I'm going to destroy the world," Namatame said.

The audience laughed at this, although a glare from Namatame silenced them. Something about the man's gaze was frightening.

"How and why?" Naoto asked, wishing she had thought to bring her sidearm.

Namatame smirked. "Direct, aren't you? Understandable, given our history," he said.

"I know that you were involved in the Inaba incidents," Monta-san said, trying to regain control of the show.

"Monta-san, I like you. I really do. And I apologize, but you and the studio staff were just the puppets I needed to make this announcement. So go to sleep until I'm done," Namatame said.

Monta-san fainted away, falling unconscious.

Kamoshida went to check on him. "What... what did you do?" he demanded.

"A simple hypnotic spell," Namatame said. "Same as the one I used on the TV show executives to convince them to set up this encounter." The audience tried to leave, worried now, but Namatame snapped his fingers, shadowy hands grabbing them and forcing them back down into their seats, more hands coming up and gagging them. They looked to the security officers and studio crew for help, but they were all just standing there with dazed expressions on their faces, doing nothing, the cameras moving on their own.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Tatsumi Textiles...

Inaba...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Tatsumi Kanji's face was glued to the screen, an expression of horror there. "Shit..." the tall young man said. "The hell's that idiot DOING!?"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Cafe LeBlanc...

Tokyo...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Holy hell..." Ryuji said, standing up.

"Something's wrong..." Morgana said, her hackles raised. "Something's very wrong..."

Ann's phone went off. "It's the others," she said after checking it. "Fox is closest, and he said he was able to manifest his persona and his thief costume."

"In reality!?" Ryuji said.

Morgana winced, silently glad the cafe was closed today, the owner, Sakura Sojiro, letting them babysit the place while he was out of town on business.

"We have to get there," Ann said. "Something weird is going on, and it may be time for the Phantom Thieves to make another appearance."

"I agree," Ryuji said. "Feels weird doing this without Joker, though..."

"We can't wait for him," Morgana said, glaring at the screen. "Something major is about to happen."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Shadow Operative Base...

Tatsumi Port Island...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Akihiko, you're with me," Mitsuru ordered. "We are heading to Tokyo NOW." She grabbed her rapier from where it was laying on a table and began striding towards the planes. "Namatame is controlling Shadows. We need to nip this in the bud as quickly as possible."

"Amen to that," Akihiko said, throwing off his shirt and pounding his fists together.

"And for God's sake, put your shirt back on," Mitsuru said.

Akihiko shook his head. "Can't talk. Mentally preparing myself to hit things," he said.

Mitsuru grumbled, but decided it wasn't worth the wasted time to argue.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Studio...

Tokyo...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Namatame smirked, not turning away from Naoto. "To the apostles of the Third and Fifth Messiahs, also known as the Shadow Operatives and the Phantom Thieves, I suggest you sit the fuck down and watch this. Otherwise I will kill everyone in the audience."

The audience gasped in horror. Naoto blinked, shocked. "...You know that those groups are mobilizing?"

Namatame sneered. "I know everything now."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Shadow Operative Base...

Tatsumi Port Island...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"STOP!" called out one of the monitor room techs. "Namatame-san just called out us and the Phantom Thieves! He said if we made a move, he'd kill the audience!"

"He called us out DIRECTLY!?" Akihiro said, shocked.

"Damn it... What the hell is going on!?" Mitsuru demanded as she headed back to the monitor room.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Cafe LeBlanc...

Tokyo...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Oh man... How'd he know we were getting ready to move?" Ryuji asked.

Ann, meanwhile, was quickly texting the rest of her teammates in Tokyo, frantically telling them to stand down.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Studio...

Tokyo...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Namatame continued. "I want the whole world to see this," he said, turning to the cameras, which were operating automatically. "You may have noticed that you cannot change the channel. For those of you watching on your computers, you also may have noticed that you cannot stop this broadcast, or even turn off your computer. Don't worry, I'll give you control back once I'm done delivering my message. But until then, sit down and watch while I have a discussion with the Detective Prince and the rapist here."

Kamoshida flinched. Naoto growled angrily, but kept her composure. "What did you mean by messiahs, Namatame?"

Namatame grinned. "In every generation, there are those who rise to the occasion and protect the world from harm. Saviors who give their all to bring peace to the world, and their followers who help them achieve this goal, close friends fighting alongside them. Their apostles. Most live in obscurity, their names and lives never garnering fame. Others become legends, their souls rising to greatness to the point where their image is inscribed into the collective unconsciousness. Two such legends would be Jesus of Nazareth and Jeanne D'Arc. Or Joan of Arc, as she's more commonly known." He looked Naoto directly in the eye. "In this generation, there have been five messiahs, each with their own group of apostles. Two are beyond the reach of man. The third, a former ally of the Shadow Operatives, gave his life to protect all mankind from an event called the Fall, which would have caused the death of all life on Earth. The Fourth Messiah, your group's leader, led the charge against three different destructors, including a death goddess, a fire god, and what I can only surmise is a love goddess who badly misinterpreted her purpose. And the Fifth Messiah, the leader of the Phantom Thieves, defended the world against a mad god that wanted to enslave everyone to his twisted ideas of order."

Naoto gasped softly, realizing what he meant.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Cafe LeBlanc...

Tokyo...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Both Ryuji and Ann looked to Morgana and shock. "Is... is Joker really a messiah?" Ann asked softly.

The cat looked thoughtful. "I suppose... Even with my memories restored, there's still a lot that my creator hasn't shared with me..."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Junes...

Inaba...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Yu-chan... a messiah?" Yukiko said softly.

"This is way too much to take in at once," Chie said, rubbing her temples in confused frustration.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Shadow Operative Base...

Tatsumi Port Island...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Minato, a savior..." Akihiko said softly. "Yeah, that made sense..."

"Arisoto Minato sacrificed his life to protect mankind from Erebus and Nyx," Mitsuru said, growling. "If Namatame disrespects him in any way, shape, or form, his Execution will be LEGENDARY."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Studio...

Tokyo...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"That being said," Namatame said, "despite the efforts of these five brave heroes and their apostles, NOTHING HAS TRULY CHANGED. This world is full of shit. The Great Will has shown me the Truth. I have seen the soul of the world and found it WANTING."

Naoto shook her head. "You cannot seriously believe that," she said. "Look at what's happened since then."

"In Japan," Namatame said, scowling. "Even then, only because there's active superheroes in the form of you and your fellow apostles. And even then, the changes are MINIMAL. The United States has become a joke. Russia is corrupt beyond repair. North Korea is run by a psychopath." He grinned psychotically. "I'm going to tear it all apart."

"We'll stop you," Naoto said firmly. "We've stopped threats like you before."

Namatame just smirked. He gestured, and Kamoshida was brought towards him, hovering in midair. The former Olympian was dropped roughly in front of Namatame, who grinned savagely.

"Please don't hurt me," Kamoshida begged.

"Bet that's what some of the kids you abused said, didn't they?" Namatame said with disgust, not losing his grin.

"Back down, Namatame!" Naoto said, running over and grabbing a sidearm from one of the brainwashed guards.

"I know what I did was wrong... But please, I don't want to die..." Kamoshida pleaded.

Namatame smirked, gesturing and summoning a small, swirling orb of darkness. "Do you know what this is?" he asked.

Naoto tried to fire, but the gun didn't seem to work. She ran to try another one.

"It's a shadow," Namatame said, ignoring Naoto. "An entity from the collective unconscious. This one is designed to take on the characteristics of a person's dark side. Everything evil about themselves. Every dark, cruel thought." He smirked. "And while the Phantom Thieves may have stolen your will to act on those thoughts, they couldn't take them away from you entirely. They're still there. Lurking. Like mildew."

The orb of darkness slammed into Kamoshida, knocking him down. It emerged out of Kamoshida's back, changing forms. It changed into Kamoshida's shape, manifesting his old hairstyle. But instead of the clothes he was wearing, he was wearing a fancy, royal cape, a speedo, and a crown. And his eyes were glowing bright yellow.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Cafe LeBlanc...

Tokyo...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Oh hell..." Ryuji muttered.

"I thought we defeated Kamoshida's shadow!" Ann said, frightened.

Morgana shook his head, hissing at the screen. "This is different. An outside shadow that's taken on the characteristics of Kamoshida's dark side."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Studio...

Tokyo...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The dark Kamoshida smirked at his counterpart. "Hello there, me," Shadow Kamoshida said, his voice echoing slightly.

Kamoshida stared, terrified. "What... what are you?!"

Shadow Kamoshida grinned, spreading his arms wide. "Pretty obvious, isn't it? I am every dark desire you've ever had. Every filthy thought you've ever had about every young girl you've ever met."

Kamoshida shook his head. "No... No, I'm not like that anymore!" he insisted.

Shadow Kamoshida cackled. "The Phantom Thieves took your will to act on your desires. Took the thoughts that made you think your actions were justified. But the thoughts don't go away. They're always there, festering at the back of your mind."

Kamoshida shook his head vigorously. "No... No! I'm not a monster anymore!" he said desperately.

Shadow Kamoshida smirked. "Sure you're not," he said. "Let's first correct a mistake you made, hm?" Green swirled around Kamoshida's crotch.

"What... what did you do!?" Kamoshida asked, frightened.

"Healed your castration," Shadow Kamoshida said.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Cafe LeBlanc...

Tokyo...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Oh, I don't like where this is going..." Morgana said, Ryuji and Ann staring with horror.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Studio...

Tokyo...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Naoto, horrified, suddenly realized where this was going. She had to take a chance. "Perso..."

Shadow Kamoshida held out a hand, a magical aura surrounding her and forcing her to be silent. Naoto cursed herself as Shadow Kamoshida gestured, levitating her paralyzed form over to him, knowing that she should have tried summoning her persona sooner, should have called it the moment Namatame started throwing magic around. She tried to struggle, but Shadow Kamoshida's magic paralyzed her.

"Look at her," Shadow Kamoshida said, gesturing with his other hand and forcing Kamoshida upright. "Such a sweet, tight young thing..." Shadow Kamoshida gestured, and tore open her shirt, revealing her breasts. "And holy Kami, look at those tits! To think the Detective Prince was hiding such sexy boobs all this time, am I right?"

Kamoshida gulped, unable to look away. He could feel old, familiar urges welling up inside him as he stared, wided eyed at the blushing terrified Naoto. "Yeah..." he heard himself say.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Tatsumi Textiles...

Inaba...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Don't you dare..." Kanji shouted, grabbing the television. His face was a mask of rage. "DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE! DON'T YOU DARE HURT NAOTO!"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Cafe LeBlanc...

Tokyo...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Not again..." Ann said, shivering, hugging herself fearfully. Flashbacks to a friend of hers getting assaulted by Kamoshida and subsequently trying to commit suicide filled her head. "Not again..."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Studio...

Tokyo...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"How long has it been?" Shadow Kamoshida asked, the twisted creature smirking viciously. "How long has it been since you've even touched a woman?" He grinned savagely at Naoto, who was crying in fear as she desperately tried to regain control of her body. "Bet this one's never had a real man before... Such a cute, sexy, little thing... Bet she's tight as a drum..."

Kamoshida was drooling. He stared at Naoto's bra-covered breasts, his eyes starting to glow yellow, like those of his Shadow. Unconsciously, his hands started to rise up in a clutching motion. The audience watched, horrified.

"There you go..." Shadow Kamoshida said, his voice comforting, almost a whisper. "Take her. Take your due as a man..."

"P-Please..." Naoto begged, forcing the word out past the paralysis, trying desperately to pull away.

Thankfully, it was enough. Kamoshida blinked, and pulled away, tears in his eyes. "N-No... I'm not like that anymore... I'm not..." He collapsed in on himself, curling up into a ball and sobbing.

"So disappointing," Shadow Kamoshida said with a scowl.

Naoto, tears in her eyes, dropped out of the magical aura holding her in place and scrambled away, covering herself as she went for her jacket. "Oh god..." she said, panting with relief that Kamoshida had managed to control himself.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Cafe LeBlanc...

Tokyo...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Oh thank heavens..." Ann said, collapsing into her chair.

"Geez..." Ryuji said, chuckling nervously. "Had me worried for a sec. Never thought I'd say this and mean it, but good on ya, Kamoshida!"

"It's not over yet," Morgana said, staring at Namatame's smirking face.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Studio...

Tokyo...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Namatame clapped his hands. "Well done, Kamoshida. Let's see how Shirogane-san does, though..." He snapped his fingers, summoning another dark orb. It flew out and struck Naoto in the head as she was putting her jacket back on. It passed through her, changing as the first one did, transforming into a golden-eyed copy of Naoto, this one wearing a labcoat instead of a jacket.

"Look at him..." Shadow Naoto said, her voice a furious hiss. "What a monstrous thing he is..."

"He stopped..." Naoto said softly, staring at the floor.

"Sure. This time," Shadow Naoto said. "But how do you know he won't try again some day? You saw how his Darkside was able to rile him up. And... hell, there was the fact that he was able to get out in the first place." Shadow Naoto turned to Namatame. "How'd you get him out anyway?"

"Money," Namatame said simply. "I paid off the warden. He was a surprisingly cheap bribe."

Naoto clenched her fists tightly.

Shadow Naoto chuckled, shaking her head. "A cheap bribe. You hear that? Throw a little cash around, and a rapist is out on the street again. If it wasn't Namatame, it would have been someone else. And if not you, then someone else will be victimized by him."

Naoto looked up, glaring directly at Kamoshida, who flinched.

"He's scum. The lowest form of life," Shadow Naoto said, her voice a sneer. "What he did to those students at Shujin... What he almost did to you..."

Naoto closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. When she opened them again, they were yellow.

Shadow Kamoshida grinned. "Well well..."

Shadow Naoto smirked. "Yes... That's it..." she said, summoning over one of the discarded guns and putting it into Naoto's hand. Slowly, Naoto walked over to Kamoshida, who whimpered, slowly crawling away. "Kill him..." Shadow Naoto said. "Protect every girl he could hurt in the future... He's scum! He doesn't deserve to live! MAKE HIM PAY!"

"Bastard..." Naoto said, taking aim with the sidearm.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Junes...

Inaba...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Naoto-chan..." Yukiko said. "Please, don't give in!"

"You're better than that, Naoto-chan!" Chie called out. "Please..."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Hanamura Residence...

Inaba...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Don't you fucking listen, Naoto!" Hanamura Yosuke said, the brown-haired young man biting his lip nervously.

"Please... It's just a shadow..." Teddie said, the startlingly beautiful young man looking fearful. "You can't let it control you..."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Narukami Residence...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

A grey-haired young man wrung his hands nervously as he watched Naoto. "Please..." Narukami Yu said. "Don't do this..."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Hokkaido...

A music studio...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Everyone in the studio had dropped what they were doing, horrified and fascinated by the show. One in particular, Kujikawa Rise, was watching with a fearful expression on her face.

"Oh please..." Rise said. "This... This isn't you..."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Tatsumi Textiles...

Inaba...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"C'mon, Naoto-chan..." Kanji said desperately. "You're better than this. You're not some vigilante..."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Studio...

Tokyo...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Kamoshida whimpered, glancing over to Shadow Kamoshida... and then stopped. "This... this is what I deserve, isn't it?" he said, smiling sadly. He knelt before her, sighing softly. "It's okay, Shirogane-san. Do what you feel you have to."

"He's letting you..." Shadow Naoto said, her face a mask of anger. "FINISH IT!"

Naoto hesitated. "I.. No..." she said, the yellow in her eyes fading.

"What are you waiting for!?" Shadow Naoto said. "Anyone he hurts after this! Any woman he rapes! That's on your head!"

Naoto shook her head, lowering the gun. "No..." she said softly, her head clearing of the anger that had been clouding it.

"He's a monster!" Shadow Naoto insisted.

Naoto lifted up the gun again... and shot a glowing blue card that appeared in front of it. "PERSONA. YAMATO SUMERAGI!"

Before the shocked eyes of the crowd, a tall, ghostly figure in blue pants, black boots, and a red vest appeared. It wore a long, beak-like helmet and had a winglike cape, long, flowing blonde hair trailing from the back of the helmet. It whipped out a laser sword, beheading Shadow Naoto and Shadow Kamoshida in a single stroke. Both shadows disappeared in a swirl of darkness.

"Not this time, Namatame!" Naoto said, Yamato Sumeragi floating behind her, sword held in a ready stance.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Junes...

Inaba...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"YES!" Yukiko said, pumping her fist triumphantly.

"Go Naoto!" Chie cheered.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Tatsumi Textiles...

Inaba...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Kanji almost collapsed in relief. "You show that bastard, Naoto," he said, grinning.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Cafe LeBlanc...

Tokyo...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"The Detective Prince is a persona user?!" Ryuji said, shocked.

"There's a lot more going on here than we're aware of," Morgana said, just as confused.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Studio...

Tokyo...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Hm..." Namatame said, unpreterbed. "That's... pretty cool, actually. And your tier three persona right away! I feel so honored! Let's celebrate!"

He snapped his fingers, and Kamoshida's head exploded. He twitched once, and then fell over. The audience shrieked in terror, renewing their struggles against the hands holding them in place.

"Damn it, Namatame!" Naoto screamed. "Stop this!"

"No," Namtame said flatly. "I'm just GETTING started! In fact... Since we're showing off..." He grinned viciously, holding out his hand as a blue card appeared in it. Naoto gasped in shock, and sent Yamato Sumeragi out to stop him.

"Persona." But it was too late. Namatame's hand closed, crushing the blue card. "IZANAMI!"

Yamato Sumeragi was thrown backwards as a gigantic figure appeared, a woman wrapped in white with a red X over her face, another red X in the dress that covered the lower part of her bandaged wrapped body.

"What... what is this!?" Naoto shouted, backing away fearfully.

"The start of the end," Namatame said. "And to quote a certain overused meme, GO TO SLEEP."

Naoto had only a moment to look confused before a solid blow to the back of her head knocked her out. Yamato Sumeragi flickered and disappeared.

The figure who had delivered the blow had literally appeared right behind her. He was wearing a bright-red trenchcoat, scarf hiding his face and a winter cap on his head, his glowing eyes the only thing visible of his face. Over one shoulder was the sledgehammer he used to knock Naoto out with.

Standing next to him was a blue-haired, yellow-eyed young man in a Gekkouan High School uniform, holding a straight sword.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Shadow Operative Base...

Tatsumi Port Island...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Mitsuru stared, horrified. "No... Nonononono..." she whispered.

"Holy shit... Holy SHIT!" Akihiko said, equally shocked. "Is that... Shinji and Minato!?"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Studio...

Tokyo...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce two people to you," Namatame said, walking over to the two yellow-eyed young men. "Shortstack here is Arisoto Minato, the Third Messiah of this generation. The big guy that just gave Naoto a concussion is one of his apostles, Aragaki Shinjiro. I brought them both back from the dead... and brainwashed them to serve me. Of course, Minato's ressurection means that I also undid his heroic sacrifice, which means that in about a month, if a certain woman isn't on the ball, we're all FUCKED. As for Minato and Shinjiro's buddies, the Shadow Operatives? You work for me now." Namatame's expression turned serious. "The Fourth and Fifth Messiahs and their apostles are no doubt preparing to move against me. I'm not ready for them yet. Which means you have to fight them. If you don't, then I swear I will send both Shinjiro and Minato's souls STRAIGHT TO HELL! Once I'm ready, I'll free them, and you can team up with the Fourth and Fifth Messiahs all you want to try and stop me. But until then, KEEP THEM OFF MY BACK."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Shadow Operative Base...

Tatsumi Port Island...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Damn you, Namatame..." Mitsuru said.

"I..." Akihiko said, visibly frightened. "I don't know what to DO! We have to stop him... But he has Minato and Shinji! We can't just abandon them... can we?!"

Mitsuru sat down, a helpless look on her face. "No... we can't... I hate to say it, but until we have Minato and Shinjiro back... we have to play along..."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Studio...

Tokyo...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Namatame smirked. "This world is full of shit," he said. "All I'm doing is flushing the toilet." He snapped his fingers, the shadowy hands holding the audience vanishing. They immediately ran for the door, several of them calling for help. "That being said, you've been a great audience!" Namatame quipped. "Thank you for coming to our show! We hope you enjoyed! GOOD NIGHT, EVERYBODY!"

Namatame, Izanami, Minato, and Shinjiro vanished. At the same time, across the world, on every television and computer screen in the world, Namatame's hand suddenly reached out of the screen, accompanied by his mad laughter. The hand grabbed at the air briefly before vanishing, leaving only a terrified populace.

Back inside the studio, the police and paramedics broke in at last, immediately attending to Naoto and the studio crew, the latter slowly coming out of their trances.

And at the homes of Narukami Yu, the Fourth Messiah, and Kurusu Akira, Joker, the Fifth Messiah, a velvet blue theater ticket appeared.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Elsewhere...  
Later...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Adachi Tohru said on a stairway, drinking a beer. "'I'm just flushing the toilet.' That's pretty good, actually. Should have said that when I was fighting those brats initially..."

"Adachi," said a voice from behind him. He looked up, seeing a young woman in blue shorts, a white shirt, and a blue hat glaring at him, her eyes glowing.

Adachi frowned for a minute, and then ah'd as he recognized her. "I remember you. You were with the brats during the whole mess with Kagutsuchi, right?"

The girl nodded. "My name is Marie. I was once an aspect of Izanami, who gave you your powers and persona," she said.

Adachi tipped his beer to her. "Pleasure," he said. "What brings you here? That show from earlier?"

Marie frowned. "I've been barred from entering the Velvet Room. That, plus Namatame's little announcement..." She shook her head. "Something's going on. I want to investigate it. But I don't think I can handle it alone."

Adachi frowned. "I'm guessing you're on a little recruitment mission, eh?" he said.

Marie nodded. "You and two others," she aid.

Adachi turned away, sipping his beer. He wanted to say no, but he had a feeling that she was powerful enough to insist. And honestly, it's not like he had anything better to do since being acquitted despite his confession. "Sure, sure..." Adachi said. "Let's go. If nothing else, I'll get a good scrap out of it." He polished off his beer and stood up.

Marie nodded. "That went better than expected."

Adachi grinned viciously. "Don't get me wrong, babe. I'm not doing this out of altruism. I'm just wanting a chance to smack Namatame around. After all, how often do you get to beat the shit out of someone on that level?"

 _ **TO BE CONTINUED...**_


	2. Welcome to the Velvet Room

_**Persona Arena – Armageddon**_

 _ **Chapter 2: Welcome to the Velvet Room**_

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Tokyo PD...

Interrogation Room...

One day later...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"...So explain this to us," one of the men said.

"We're wasting time," Naoto said, glaring at the men holding her there. She had been allowed to keep her sidearm, a sign of respect, but she was being prevented from leaving. "Namatame is out there, doing who knows what."

"We need..." an older man said, catching himself. "Shirogane-san. I know this is obnoxious, but we need an understanding of what happened. What was Namatame using?"

"Magic," Naoto said simply. "Namatame's disrupted the natural order of things enough that magic once possible only in other worlds I've been to is now possible in the real world. Things are saturated enough that my friends and I can use our abilities in reality."

A younger cop grunted. "Do you honestly believe that magic was involved?"

"You have a better explanation?" Naoto challenged.

The younger cop said nothing. Naoto sighed, and put her finger in the coffee the younger cop was drinking. "Perhaps an object demonstration is in order," she said. "BUFU."

Naoto's eyes flashed, the image of a short, winged man in a blue suit jacket and helmet appearing. The coffee cup was completely coated in ice, icicles descending to the floor. The three cops in the room backed away, frightened.

Naoto simply sat back.

The middle-aged cop frowned. "Shirogane-san... what actually happened in the cases you were involved in related to Inaba? And what are these... personas?"

Naoto sighed. "Short version? They're the manifestation of your inner self, which you gain after confronting and accepting a part of yourself that you're afraid to admit exists. In this case, accepting our inner selves also resulted in us getting magic." She rubbed her head, which was bandaged from where she had been struck. Her head was still sore, although she had been cleared for going back on duty. "We're wasting valuable time. Namatame's plans..."

"Do you honestly think we're letting you go after this?" the youngest cop said, growling. "You know more about this than you're telling, and you're going to STAY HERE until..."

"What she's going to do, gentlemen, is let her go so she can gather her comrades and stop Namatame," said an authoritative voice from the doorway to the interrogation room. Everyone turned to look... and immediately stood up and bowed.

Standing in the doorway was the Prime Minister of Japan, Abe Shinzo.

"You honor us with your presence, your Excellency," the oldest of the three officers said.

"Rise," Abe-sama said. Reluctantly, Naoto and the three officers stood up again. "Shirogane-san. Apostle of the Fourth Messiah. Are you and your comrades equipped to defeat Namatame?"

"I believe so, your Excellency," Naoto said nervously. "We each still have our weaponry from previous adventures. And we are familiar with how Izanami fights, as well as her upgraded form."

"Upgraded?" Abe-sama asked, frowning.

"Yes," Naoto said. "When we confronted Izanami, the Fourth Messiah used a special item he had acquired along with the power he had amassed to force Izanami into her true form, Izanami-no-Okami. I'm just running on assumptions here, but I think because she's a persona this time, Namatame will be able to shift her back and forth between forms at will, as we all can with our personas."

"Hnnn..." Abe-sama said. "Shirogane Naoto. After an emergency meeting with the Diet, the Cabinet, the Supreme Court, and the Emperor earlier today, a measure was approved. By our combined authority, I am officially granting you and your allies absolute authority over the investigation and arrest of Namatame Taro. You all will be given full control over all law enforcement agencies in Japan. I will require the names of your allies, though."

"Your Excellency..." Naoto said, hesitant.

"It is required to put the paperwork through completely," Abe-sama said. "I understand you wish to protect their privacy, but this is important."

"Yes, your Excellency," Naoto said, seeing the point. "The Fourth Messiah's name is Narukami Yu. The other members of my group are Satonaka Chie, Hanamura Yosuke, Amagi Yukiko, Tatsumi Kanji, Kujikawa Rise, and Teddie."

Abe-sama frowned. "'Teddie?' Just Teddie?"

"Teddie is... complicated," Naoto said.

"Uncomplicate it as best you can," Abe-sama said.

Naoto sighed. "Teddie is a shadow, a being who existed in the collective subconscious. He grew curious about humanity and took an nonthreatening form, that of a bear-shaped mascot. He eventually created a human body for himself, but he still has his old bear body. He is currently living with Yosuke, and works at Inaba's local Junes as a mascot."

The middle-aged officer looked confused. "Wait. You told me that your shadow became your persona, that spirit thing you made appear."

Naoto nodded. "In addition to shadows that are a part of human souls, there are shadows that are simply a separate existence all their own. Teddie is that type of shadow. Once he fully came into himself and accepted who he was, he gained a persona."

Abe-sama nodded. "I suppose that will have to do, then. What of the Phantom Thieves?" he asked.

"I and my associates have had no personal dealings with the Phantom Thieves. I have a few theories on the identities of some of them, especially after Okumura Kunizaku's death and Akechi Goro's disappearance, but no concrete evidence," Naoto said. "And to be honest... I do not fully trust them. While there's no question they've done good, there's still the fact that they can manipulate the hearts, the very souls, of others."

Abe-sama nodded. "I have similar doubts along those lines," he said. "But with what Namatame is promising, we need all the help we can get on this. There's no scientific explanation for what's been happening. We need people who know what they're doing on this case, and fast."

"Thank you, Abe-sama," Naoto said, bowing.

The youngest police officer frowned. "Forgive me, your Excellency," he said, "but wouldn't it be better to get the military in on this, rather than rely on some young person and her friends?"

Naoto bit back the urge to growl.

"And what good would they do in finding him?" Abe-sama countered. "We're ALL in over our heads. We must trust in the Messiahs and their apostles. Also..." He shivered softly. "My wife was in the audience last night. If Namatame had carried out this threat to kill the audience..."

Naoto closed her eyes solemnly, and nodded. "We'll find him," she said. "We'll stop him. No matter what it takes."

Abe-sama sighed. "Which brings me to the... caveat..." he said.

"Your Excellency?" Naoto asked, confused.

"While the vote to let you and your friends have full control in this case was in your favor, there were dissenters. They insisted on a liaison, someone to report back and forth between your groups and them," Abe-sama said.

Naoto thought about it and nodded. "Makes sense. This is a very new situation. The masquerade of magic has been broken, and they want someone in contact with them."

Abe-sama nodded. "He's a decorated officer. Very competent, very professional," he said.

Naoto frowned. Abe-sama was sweating. "...Sir? Is there something I need to know?"

Abe-sama sighed. "Well... It's probably better if I just introduce you to him. And also, in advance... I'm sorry. He's non-negotiable... and he wasn't my idea..." he said, motioning for Naoto to follow him.

Naoto, worried, let Abe-sama lead her to a desk where a handsome young detective was sitting. A lock of dark black hair curled insolently over his forehead, his eyes just as black. He looked up from the files he was reading, and bowed to Abe-sama.

"Your Excellency," he said.

"Shirogano Naoto, meet Detective Urameshi Genji," Abe-sama said.

Naoto bowed respectfully, Genji doing the same. "A pleasure, Urameshi-san. I hope we will work well together on this case," Naoto said.

Genji snorted. "So this is the Detective Prince, eh?"

Naoto frowned. "Um... yes, I am."

Genji chuckled. "Pretty little thing, ain'tcha? Bet that helps a lot in interrogations," he said.

"Excuse me?!" Naoto exclaimed.

"Hm," Genji said, not caring that she was offended. "Well... I don't like that we have to resort to a bunch of kids to deal what is quite obviously the most well-orchestrated mass hallucination in ages. But if it's what my superiors want, who am I to go against them?"

"We are the only ones who have experience with this sort of phenomenon, Urameshi-san," Naoto said. "We will be respectful to those put under our command, but we are the only ones capable of fighting Namatame safely."

Genji patted her on the head, pushing her hat down. "Sure you are," he said condescendingly. "Well, I need to check in with my own, more realistic resources. Be sure to call me when your little glee club gets here."

"...I could evaporate you with a word," Naoto muttered.

Genji didn't seem to hear her, walking off while whistling a Disney song. Abe-sama bowed again.

"I'm so sorry..."

"Ngggh..." Naoto grumbled, facepalming.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

A Youtube Video...

Takura Productions account...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Hiii! Risette here!" Rise said, smiling cheerfully. "Now, I know you're all wanting endless new content, but I have to take the next couple months off, unfortunately." She made a sad, pouty face. "I know, it's not fair to you my fans, who've been so loyal through thick and thin. But I... kinda... have to go save the world." She folded her arms. "Persona. KOUZEON!"

Behind Rise, a woman with a telescope for a head appeared, small planets orbiting her in rings. She had six arms and wore an elegant dress, to of the arms holding a headdress visor just above Rise's head. "Is she appearing on camera?" Rise asked. "Okay, good. ANYWAY!" She turned back to the camera. "Your favorite Risette is actually a superhero! And an apostle of the Fourth Messiah! But I just call him senpai!" She giggled cheerfully. "Don't worry folks! Me and my friends are all experienced at beating up meanies like Namatame! While this has to take priority (no point in making music if the world's gonna end), but if all goes well, after a couple months, I'll be back! And maybe with a new song about it! Wouldn't that be great?"

Rise took a deep breath, becoming serious. "I'm asking you all to not panic. We're going to do everything in our power to stop him. I love you all too much to let you all die."

"And we love you too, Risette!" said a voice from offscreen. Rise blinked, and gasped, as the members of her rival idol group, Kanamin's Kitchen, came in, Kanamin herself hugging her.

"You saved us all from Mikuratana-no-Kami," Kanami said, smiling. "We believe in you. We know you'll save us all."

"That's right, Risette," Tomoe said.

"You and the others can do anything!" Nozomi said encouragingly.

"This time, the spotlight's yours without complaints," Tamami said.

"You'll save us! I know you will!" Sumomo said, using her real accent.

"Thank you girls," Rise said happily. "I won't let you down!" She pulled them all into a group hug, turning back to the camera. "And thank you all for supporting me! With luck, we'll see each other again! This is Risette, and I'm signing off!"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

A residence in Northern Japan...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Standing in the middle of the living room of a private residence, the family living in that residence staring at it fearfully, was a glowing theater ticket booth with a doorway nearby. Standing in the ticket booth, wearing the uniform of a fancy theater usher, was a tall woman with ghostly white eyes and blonde hair.

"Margaret..." Narukami Yu said, holding the glowing ticket in his hand. Nearby, Yu's parents watched fearfully.

The woman just smiled.

"Yu..." Yu's mother said, frightened, clutching at her son's sleeve. "What... what's going on?"

"The Fourth Messiah is called," Margaret said. "You are needed in the Velvet Room. After which, you will be taken to join your friends in Inaba."

Yu's parents stared at him in shock. "You... you're the Fourth Messiah that horrible man mentioned, Yu?" Yu's father asked.

Yu just nodded, holding the ticket.

"Show them," Margaret said, her tone a command.

Yu flinched. "...They aren't ready," he said.

"No one ever is, Narukami Yu," Margaret said. "Show them."

Yu took a deep breath. He then stepped away from his family, holding out his hand. A blue card appeared. "Persona," he said, crushing the card. "Izanagi."

A massive, ghostly figure in a black jacket appeared, wielding a massive sword with a long hilt. Yu's parents backed away, frightened.

"What... what's going on?" Yu's mother demanded.

"When you sent me to Inaba," Yu said, "I became involved in a plot that threatened the world. Izanami wanted to trap everyone in illusory fog, trapping everyone in fantasies forever. No pain, but no real life. Nothing of true value. I gained this power, my Persona, from that conflict."

Yu's mother whimpered softly. "Oh Yu..."

Yu's father turned to Margaret. "...He's going to be in lots of danger, isn't he?"

"Heroes usually are," Margaret said simply.

"Please..." Yu said. "I have to go... I'm going either way, but it'll be easier on me if I have your blessing..."

His parents gave each other worried looks. But both, on some level, realized that they couldn't keep him away... They both went up and hugged Yu, Izanagi disappearing.

"I'll be careful, I promise," Yu said softly. For a long moment, they held their hug. When they finally separated, Yu turned to Margaret. "Give me a moment," he said, going upstairs. Margaret nodded.

When Yu came down, he was dressed the way he was during the Kagutsuchi incident, his katana held over one shoulder. "I'm ready," he said, giving Margaret the ticket.

"The show will start shortly. Please enter and take your seat," she said, the door opening for Yu. "Watch for intruders."

Yu blinked at that, confused, but nodded and entered. In a flash of blue light, the world changed around him.

He found himself in the lobby of a grand theater. Stairways leading up to balconies and private boxes were on either side of the lobby, beautiful chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.

And everything was in a shade of blue.

"So different from the limo," Yu said softly, remembering his own encounter with the Velvet Room. "Hm. Guess I better head in..."

As he stepped towards the entrance, though, a chill came over him. Almost on reflex, he raised his katana. A clanging sounded as a knife came in contact with it, Yu thrusting his katana to the side as he dodged in the opposite direction.

Quickly retaking his stance, he glanced over at his attacker. A young man, a little younger than he was by the looks of it, wearing a long back coat and black, lightly-armored gear. He wore red gloves, and his face was obscured by a silvery domino mask. He scowled at Yu, pulling out a pistol and firing it.

Yu quickly dodged out of the way, yelping in surprise. "Damn it... Okay, that's the way you want to play this?" he said. _This must be the intruder Margaret mentioned._ "PERSONA! LOKI!"

Izanagi appeared instead. "What the..." Yu said, confused. He immediately had to dodge out of the way again as his attacker laughed, firing upon him once more.

"My turn," the intruder said. "Persona. VISHNU!" Instead of Vishnu, though, a tall, demonic figure in a red suit and mask with black wings appeared. "Wha... Arsene?!"

 _Another Wild Card,_ Yu realized. _Gotta subdue him first, then maybe we can talk._ "Izanagi! ZIODYNE!" Lightning rained down from the ceiling, aiming for the masked man.

The masked intruder yelped, barely avoiding the attack. "Two can play at that game. Arsene! EIGAON!"

The demonic persona cackled, thrusting its hands out and shooting a massive wave of darkness out. Yu didn't have time to dodge the speedy attack, and was slammed back into the wall. The man charged him, his persona swirling around to deliver a kick with his bladed heels. In response, Izanagi raised his sword, deflecting the attack aside.

Frustrated, the masked man pulled his gun again. At the same time, Yu brought his katana to the masked intruder's neck.

"ENOUGH!" shouted two female voices.

They turned. Yu recognized Margaret standing there, but the shorter woman wearing a butterfly clip headband instead of a cap like Margaret was a mystery to her.

"Do not fight," the mystery woman said. "We know what we need to know now."

"Lavenza, what's going on?" the masked man asked.

"Kinda'd like to know that myself, Margaret," Yu said.

The shorter woman, Lavenza, smiled. Margaret stepped forward and gestured to the masked man. "Narukami Yu, the Fourth Messiah," she said, the masked man flinching and lowering his gun, "meet the Fifth Messiah, Kurusu Akira, also known as Joker, the leader of the Phantom Thieves."

Joker stepped away, frowning. Yu stared at him, astonished. "You're... the leader of the Phantom Thieves?"

Joker hesitated a moment, and smirked, bowing. "Gotta say, I'm surprised to see more than one mortal in the Velvet Room."

"You are both needed," Lavenza said.

"You were both summoned," Margaret said. "And as our master feared, you both have lost the ability of the Wild Card..."

"You should still be able to summon your personal personas and their evolved states, but I wouldn't expect you to be able to use any other personas for a while," Lavenza said.

"Damn, that's bad..." Joker said, looking thoughtful. "I like Arsene, but some of the other personas I had were much more powerful."

"Same..." Yu said. "Why have we lost the ability, though?"

"That is not for us to say," Lavenza said, gesturing towards the theater door.

"Our master wishes to speak with you both," Margaret said. "He will explain everything."

"...Were they this annoyingly cryptic with you?" Joker asked.

"Eeyup," Yu said, amused, the two of them walking into the darkened theater, the stage hidden completely by blue velvet curtains. "So... what was your Velvet Room like? Mine was the inside of a limo."

Joker hmmped. "How do you know mine wasn't the same?" he said.

"Because they told me directly that the Room changes depending on the guest," Yu said.

Joker smirked. "Okay, sorry... Still not sure about all this 'Messiah' stuff. Plus I don't know you at all..."

"That's fair," Yu said.

Joker hesitated as they walked through the seats towards the front row. "A prison," he said. "My Velvet Room was a prison. But there were some special circumstances there..."

"How so?" Yu asked.

"You know that beak-nosed old tengu that runs the place?" Joker asked.

"Igor. Yeah," Yu said.

"He'd been kidnapped and replaced by an impostor. Lavenza had been split into two different beings," Joker said.

"Whoa..." Yu said, startled. "Didn't know that could happen."

Joker smirked. "We beat him, though. I freakin' shot him through the head with my persona's ultimate form, Satanael."

Yu grinned. "So that WAS you and your group," he said.

Joker paused for a moment, and nodded. "Yeah, you're a persona user. Of course you'd notice all the mess in Tokyo," he said, grinning.

"That was good work," Yu said, smiling. "Me and my friends were thinking about heading there ourselves if things got bad."

"Glad they didn't," Joker said, chuckling.

The two of them, having bonded a little, took their seats in the middle of the front row, looking up at the stage. The blue velvet curtains parted and the lights came on, blinding, Joker and Yu both moving back several rows so they could see better.

Once their eyes adjusted, they saw that on the stage was a single chair and table. Sitting in the chair was a tall man in a white suit, wearing white gloves. On his face was a white mask, the design of a blue butterfly on it, the mask open partially at the mouth. In one hand was a wine glass.

Standing next to him, smiling in amusement, was a tall, slightly hunched old man in a butler's outfit, the man having a long nose.

"I am Philemon," said the man in the mask. "Welcome to the Velvet Room."

"...Who are you? Why is Igor serving you?" Yu asked.

"Igor is the master of the Velvet Room," Philemon said. "I am the master of Igor." As if on cue, Igor poured Philemon some wine. Philemon idly swirled it in the glass.

Yu and Joker traded nervous looks. "Philemon-sama..." Joker asked. "What's going on?"

Philemon shook his head. "It is unfortunate, but I'm afraid Namatame has made some very dangerous choices. Because of Adachi Tohru's acquittal, as well as his own failures to save anyone, he has adopted a nihilistic viewpoint of life, and seeks to put an end to everything."

Yu blinked. "Wait... by everything, you mean..."

"Everything. Everyone. Everywhen. Everywas. Everywas-not," Philemon said solemnly, sipping his wine. "He seeks to end the very concepts of existence and non-existence, returning all that is, was, will be, or might be to less than nothingness. Normally, a laughable concept. But I fear that he has gained the power to achieve that."

Joker and Yu traded frightened looks. Philemon continued. "His power is growing. He has stolen the power of the Wild Card from the two of you, the Third Messiah, and the apostle Aigis. He has even stolen it from Igor's servant Elizabeth."

Yu cringed. "From one of the denizens of this room?" he said. He remembered Elizabeth. He remembered her basically humiliating the deadly and powerful Shadow Labrys during the Kagutsuchi incidents...

"Indeed," Philemon said. "The time has come for all heroes of the past to rise up and take the stage. A grand performance is about to begin, and you will need all the help you can get to defeat Namatame."

"You really think he's become that much of a threat, Philemon-sama?" Yu asked.

"Enough to draw me out of retirement," Philemon said. "I thought my role done after the defeat of Nyarlathotep." A sad look crossed his face. "But it seems that humanity ever desires destruction..."

"No," Joker said. "No way. Humanity isn't like that. Sure, we get depressed at times, but we keep going. We persevere in the face of adversity and we live on." He turned to Yu and said, "That headshot I bragged about earlier? It was powered up by the will of everyone in Tokyo. Their will to LIVE." He turned back to Philemon. "No way humanity wants destruction if they can muster up enough willpower to help me headshot a GOD."

Yu smiled. He really liked this guy. "He's right. Whatever happens, we'll stop Namatame," he said.

"Hm," Philemon said. "But what of the fact that such creatures as the ones you've faced before even exist? They are born from the collective unconscious, taking the form of myths and legends..."

"I refuse to believe that at its core, humanity wants to be oppressed, wants to be destroyed," Joker said. "It was the people rallying around us that allowed the Phantom Thieves to defeat Yaldabaoth once and for all."

"That's true," Philemon said, grinning. "Very true indeed."

Yu smiled. "We won before," he said. "And now that we're teamed up, we'll win again."

Joker grinned confidently. "That's right."

Philemon stared at the two of them, and began to laugh. "Oh, I've almost forgotten what mortals are like. The confidence even in the face of their own destruction. How delightful!" he said, smiling warmly. "It is truly a pleasure. I haven't smiled this much since Paul first wrote me about Jesus of Nazareth." He sat forward a little. "Very well. Can I trust in you and your allies to face off against Namatame and his plans?"

"You know it, Philemon-sama," Yu said.

"Well done, children of man. Well done," Philemon said. "I will do what I can to restore the Wild Card to you. However due to the rules entities such as myself are forced to live under, I cannot aid you more than that. I do apologize."

Joker nodded. "I get it, though," he said. "You want humans to take their destinies into their own hands."

Yu nodded as well, understanding where he was going with this. "If higher beings just came in and solved our problems for us, we'd be no better than cattle."

Philemon grinned. Igor smiled. "Clever, aren't they?" the long-nosed old man said.

"Indeed," Philemon agreed. "Narukami Yu. Kurusu Akira. That is the correct answer." He gestured towards the door. "Go. Yu, you will be taken to your allies, who are in the process of joining Naoto in Tokyo. Rise is already on her way there. Joker, you will be dropped off in your room from your previous stay in Tokyo."

"Thank you, Philemon-sama," Yu said, bowing.

"We won't let you down," Akira said, bowing as well.

The two headed for the exit. "Well, this is gonna be 'fun,'" Akira said.

"One more thing..." Igor said, Yu and Akira pausing. "Give Morgana my affection. I miss him."

Akira grinned. "I will," he said, the two heroes heading out of the auditorium. They met Margaret and Lavenza by the door.

"Please be sure to catch our next showing," Margaret said, handing Yu another ticket.

"We hope to see you again!" Lavenza said, doing the same for Akira.

Akira and Yu looked at each other as they prepared to step through the doors. "So what's the plan on your end?" Yu asked.

"How familiar are you with the concept of Shadows and Palaces?" Akira asked.

"During the first incident I was a part of, it involved a world accessible through televisions. Several of my friends who had specifically been kidnapped faced their shadows in dungeons specifically tailored to the shadow's personality," Yu said. "Those who came in with me encountered their shadows randomly while exploring the television world."

Akira looked thoughtful. "Sounds a little like the Metaverse... but TVs? Hm..." He shook his head, and continued. "Anyway. When we target a subject, it's because their twisted desires have formed a palace in the Metaverse, usually using an actual place as the baseline. For example, you saw how Kamoshida's Darkside looked, right?"

Yu nodded.

"His Shadow was like that. The king of a castle, with the school as his Palace. Persona spirits were turned into twisted Shadows to serve him, and cognitive copies of the students existed there. Male students were tortured, and female students... were his harem..." Akira said, frowning at the memory.

Yu eyetwitched angrily. "So, no great loss that he's dead?"

"Considering he raped one of my teammate's best friends, said best friend trying to kill herself afterward..." Akira muttered.

"Right. So it's a 'Namatame got to him first' scenario," Yu said.

"Yes, but we're off topic," Akira said. "My team and I, we investigate the Palaces formed by twisted desires. We look for the Treasure, the core of the Palace and the manifestation of the target's twisted desires. As it's usually just a glowing amorphous blob at first, we send them a calling card to let them know we're coming to steal the Treasure. This gets their attention so focused on their personal Treasure, albeit unconsciously, that it manifests into a physical form. Something we can steal. We're going to try that with Namatame's Palace."

"What was Kamoshida's treasure?" Yu said.

"A replica Olympic gold medal," Akira said. "Once we brought it out of the Metaverse, we sold it for a small fortune."

Yu looked surprised. "That's... pretty cool, actually."

Akira grinned. "I'm sure we could find a place for you in the Phantom Thieves."

Yu laughed. "Nah," he said. "I can't abandon my team. Plus Naoto-kun would never let me hear the end of it."

The two heroes shook hands and left through the front doors.

Which opened in midair. Horizontally.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Inaba...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Ow..." Yu muttered as he landed face first in front of Dojima's house. He winced, slowly pulling himself up, silently glad he had sheathed his sword after the fight. Before he could fully stand up, though...

"Bye Dad, I'm going over to... big bro!?" said a young girl's voice.

Yu smiled, feeling a little better despite the pain. "Hey, Nanako-chan," he said.

The brown-haired young girl smiled happily. She was taller than Yu remembered, but that was to be expected. She also wore her hair in a short ponytail, different from the pigtails she wore before.

"Big bro!" Nanako cried happily, hugging Yu tightly.

"Easy!" he said, "I just fell down!" But he didn't resist the hug, glad to see his cousin/little sister figure yet again.

"Nanako, what are you..." said an older man's voice. From inside, an older man emerged, wearing a grey shirt and red tie. He blinked when he noticed Yu.

"Yu?"

"Uncle Dojima," Yu said, bowing. "Hi! Mind if I hang out here for a few days."

"Of course not," Dojima said, smiling. "You may have to clear some boxes out of your old room, but the bed's still there. Still... how did you get here? Do your parents know?" His face fell. "Does you being here have to do with what happened with Namatame yesterday?"

Yu nodded. "I'm afraid it does..."

Nanako frowned, worried. "Big bro?"

Yu stretched, standing up. "I'll tell you all about it inside," he said. "After I call my parents to let them know I arrived okay. It's... it's a doozy, I'm afraid..."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Cafe LeBlanc...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"'Dropped off,'" Akira muttered, rubbing his nose from where he landed. "Oho, so funny. Bastard."

"What's going on up he... Akira?" Sakura Sojiro said, running upstairs with a broom.

Akira, back in his normal clothes, jeans and a gray hoodie, smiled weakly. "Hi..." he said. "I'm back."

Sojiro blinked. "I can see that. But how?"

"Long story..." Akira said. "Can I have some coffee, first? Also, where's Morgana?"

"He lives with Futaba and I now," Sojiro said, stroking his beard. "I'm guessing you showing up literally out of nowhere has something to do with that weird show with Namatame yesterday."

Akira nodded, picking himself up and dusting himself off. "Yeah... The Phantom Thieves are making a comeback, it looks like..."

Sojiro closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and shuddering. "I was afraid of that..." he said softly.

Akira put a hand on Sojiro's shoulder. "Believe me, I don't want her hurt either. But she's invaluable to the team. And more than able to take care of herself."

Sojiro nodded. "I know, I know, it's just..." he said, sighing. "She's my daughter. I care for her so very, very much..."

Akira nodded. "We all do," he said.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Elsewhere...

Under a bridge...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Adachi grimaced, holding his nose as he and Marie wandered through the crowd of homeless.

"Any particular reason why we're looking through hobo country?" Adachi said, grumbling. "I feel like I'm gonna catch leprosy or something."

He ignored the various homeless glaring at him. They were quickly distracted, however, by Marie using her powers to make food appear to everyone she passed by.

"One of the three I need is here," Marie said.

Adachi grimaced. "Lovely," he said. "If he needs a diaper change, you're doing it."

Marie shook her head, frustrated. Eventually, at the far end of the bridge, sitting alone and huddled up away from everyone else, was the person she wanted, wrapped up in a blanket.

"This him?" Adachi said, glaring at the figure.

Marie nodded, going over and kneeling next to the figure. "Akechi Goro?" she asked softly.

"Go away," said the young man. "He's dead."

"Whelp, he's dead," Adachi said quickly. "Time to get out of the kingdom of the smelly people."

"Move and I fry you," Marie said, Adachi making a petulant noise. To Akechi, she said, "Goro, we need your help."

"No one needs me..." Akechi said. "No one wants me... Can't blame them, really..."

Marie put a hand on his shoulder, Akechi flinching. "We need you," she said. "You, and Adachi, and one other... You're the only ones with enough power to help me..."

Adachi snickered. "Geez, stroke my shaft even more why don't you," he teased.

Marie hit him with a lightning bolt, sending him sprawling. Adachi coughed, picking himself up and dusting himself off. "Okay, I admit, I deserved that."

Akechi stared, shocked. "You... Are you a persona user?"

"No," Marie said, smiling. "I can summon them, but I don't have a personal one like you and Adachi. I was born in what you would call the Metaverse."

Akechi went wide-eyed.

"Come with us," Marie said. "I need your help, Adachi. I need the help of the Second Coming of the Detective Prince."

Akechi grimaced. "Please don't call me that... Who are you people?"

"She's an angel," Adachi said, smirking. "I'm the DEVIL."

Akechi shivered, hiding under the blanket he was holding. "Go away..."

Adachi snorted. "Look, brat, do you honestly want to spend the rest of your life here?"

Akechi said nothing.

"Adachi..." Marie growled, her eyes sparking.

Adachi ignored her. "So you had a shit life," Adachi said. "So what? If you sit here wallowing in despair, then you give justification to everyone who's ever talked down to you. Everyone who's ever said you were nothing."

Akechi looked away. Marie, sensing something shifting in his personality, let Adachi keep talking.

"Are you nothing, Akechi Goro?" Adachi pressed. "Or do you want to live? Do you want to give your life meaning?"

Akechi shivered softly. "I want... my life... to mean something..."

"Then stand the fuck up, asshole," Adachi said. "We got work to do."

Akechi looked up at Adachi, the former detective glaring back down at him. Then Akechi chuckled, standing up, revealing himself to be wearing a badly tattered suit and gloves. "You certainly are interesting... Very well, I will help you. Perhaps my honor will be restored by aiding your cause..."

Marie smiled. "I have an apartment in the city," she said. "Let's get you cleaned up."

In a flash of light, the three teleported away, more food appearing for the various homeless living under the bridge. They would always remember Marie as an angel...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

?

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Namatame smiled. "Everyone's moving exactly as I predicted them to," he said.

"So far, your game is working out quite well," said the figure accompanying him. "But I am familiar with some of the players. They can be quite unpredictable."

Namatame nodded. "Which is why I brought you back from the dead as well, as a failsafe," he said. He glared at the man. "I hope you appreciate the fact that I pulled you out of hell for this. I even gave you a persona to work with."

The figure chuckled. "Oh, I am appreciative. To be rescued from eternal torment is quite lovely."

Namatame nodded. "Good. Just remember to obey orders and do not betray me."

"Why would I?" the figure said, grinning viciously. "Our goals are exactly the same. The Fall..."

 _ **TO BE CONTINUED...**_


End file.
